The Language of Flowers
by Roses Bride
Summary: . . . ...Perhaps the unattached, the unwanted, the unloved, could grow to give love as lushly as anyone else.
1. 夕顔 (Moonflower)

_The joy of a moonlit night is a forgotten pleasure, something that only people of olden_

 _remember… at night when everyone, even the vast majority of nature is dormant, only the wise,_

 _the wistful, the bewitched and the moonflowers came out to play._

.

.

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Both of them know about ache.

It's almost like a second nature to them, a dull ache on their chests that has accompanied them for as long as they can remember – which is not much to begin with – something so intrinsically woven inside that glosses over almost every aspect of their lives.

Yes, they ache… but what for?

Serena aches for freedom… or so she would tell herself, in reality she is unsure of what she longs for, all she knows is that she is not going to find it copped up into a tiny room, reading about great people, performing great feats, rather than going out there and do them.

She needs a purpose, she decides one day, something to pour in all of this energy that on the worse of days it feels like it could make her burst and if she can focus all of it into one goal then maybe she will stop feeling out of place…

Yuri aches as well, he aches for ... well his are more abstract and shapeless needs that poke at him at every breath, all he knows is that he hates to be still, his hands start to tremble and his legs prickle whenever he is submitted to inactivity.

He wants to run, run until his breath hitches, and his whole body hurts from the effort he cares not for direction or goal he just wants to keep moving until he can feel his heart beat to such rate that it deafens the echoes of his mind…

Those are the faint wishes that they confide under the cover of the night to the silvery moonlight.

They are both lonely, they are restless, they ache… they both want to _live_ , even if they have yet to figure that out.

* * *

So... I kinda own an explanation for not posting this during the predatorshipping week as I should have ^.^' but as I kept writing and taking more and more liberty with the prompts I took the decision of posting it individually (Although I don't mind if you tag it with it)

This is an idea that I have toying for quite a while regarding their possible relationship post-series, and used my useless knowledge of the Hanakotoba for it :P


	2. 風信子屬 (Hyacinth)

"Do I even want to know what you're doing?" she asked when she saw him on the hallway wearing the most ridiculous yellow gloves she'd seen and an apron, immediately her mind was plagued with mental images of deranged doctors and experiments.

He certainly fitted the description – all he needed was a couple of bottle glasses – but the image was broken when she noticed he was carrying a shovel – still not completely out of character, but mad scientists didn't dirty their hands … not literally anyway – and a sack of dirt.

Serena felt her teeth grit when Yuri simply stared at her with that _'Are you stupid?'_ look on his face and walked past her but the last straw was that she just knew he did it on purpose when the shovel smacked her on the back of the head in the process.

Before he could disappear on the next turn she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Oi! I asked -" before she could finish the sentence she had to duck to avoid another smack when he turned to face her.

"Actually… you didn't ask anything, all you did was yell at me and get in my way." He retorted and added: "And if you care so much, then after two months of impecable behavior (Serena almost snorted at that) – and agreeing to never plant _deathly_ poisonous stuff – my request for a garden was finally approved by the Principal Tenjoin"

He said looking a little too satisfied and eager over the prospect of digging holes, killing bugs and watering plants.

 _'What an idiot'_ she thought rolling her eyes and Serena was planning on telling him as much until she realized he was staring at her intently, it wasn't his usual smirk or mocking glare he actually looked… pensive.

"Here." Yuri getting closer – so close she could feel the tips of his hair on her nose – said slipping something into her hand. "Unlike you, it may actually grow into something beautiful."

Afterward he was very smart into disappearing before she decided to make him choke on the stupid bag of seeds he gave her.


	3. 百合 (Lily of the Valley)

"I must admit I was dubious… but these are all beautiful." The Principal said examining on the fruit… well more like his flowering work after a couple weeks, even if he had to stomp down a remark whenever she got near to some flowers – to see if they had scent he assumed – and squash down the urge to get her away from the most delicate ones.

"I'm ….honored you like them." He said fighting to not roll his eyes at the obvious flatter.

"You know… if you allowed other students to see this then might be they start to like you better."

...And there is was, the reminder to _'open up'_ a little more, to _'allow people see other side of you'_ nonsense every day like a clockwork, why couldn't he be allowed to do as he wanted? Only him, his flowers and- "Oh! These are beautiful!"

Yuri then saw how the Principal practically skipped over the fountain where he had planted a couple of bushes with lilies of the valley, he had hoped she didn't notice them there.

"…Indeed," He muttered, hoping that she was as ignorant of botanic as she seemed ignorant of handling students.

"I remember my mother's wedding bouquet was of these flowers," she started closing her eyes and touching the small bell-like blooms. "She used to say that it was how father swoop her off her feet…"

Yuri usually loathed whenever people drifted over memory land in his presence, looking like idiots drooling over moments gone by… rubbing their happiness in his face, but at the mention of 'wedding' he felt a pang of interest.

"Is that so?" he said trying to prompt her to continue and appear nonchalant at the same time.

"Yes, my father didn't have lots of money so he couldn't buy a ring but he proposed to her with a flower like this one as promise of happiness for their future…"

As she kept on rambling on, Yuri's mind was on another place far away, with lots of cheers, confetti, and there in the middle of a flowerbed he saw himself awaiting for her, yes lilies would definitely fit her blue hair ... But he was yanked from the fantasy when he felt a hand on his forehead and brown eyes staring at him up close, too close for his liking.

He slapped the hand away along feeling his neck warm at the thought of someone looking at him during such a vulnerable moment.

"Uh? Sorry I know you don't like being touched but you looked red in the face and since it's a chilly day I thought you might be coming down with-"

"I was not blushing!" he exclaimed and instantly regretting it as the smirk on Asuka Tenjoin's face told him he was just ratted himself out, and she giggled, no, she laughed at him, how he wished he had his duel disk right now.

"Sorry, sorry, don't get all pouty! It's just… I guess I feel silly for the thought never crossing my mind." She said stepping back. "Do I know them?" she asked wiggling her eyebrows at him. "Fine, you don't have to tell me now going back to business… just so you know I will let _these_ lilies slip by..." She said giving him a knowing look, Yuri tried to stand his ground but he knew he failed as the blush had yet to completely leave his face. "…as a thank you for the memories and because I trust none of my students are foolish enough to try to eat them…" She said finally

turning to leave. "...Oh and Yuri?"

Yuri was decidedly not acknowledging her anymore, hoping that she would take the hint and disappear from his sight.

"While I'm not that close to her, I have a feeling that Serena would like to see this place too."

.

.

.

Damn, that woman.


	4. 欒 (Chinaberry)

"Look at what you've done!" Serena heard before even turning to see who had entered without knocking.

Instead she just noticed a blush of purple and pink walking past her to her window frame where he raised his hands on the air as if this was some type of huge emergency instead he was just looking at the her flowerpot with a tiny brownish looking plant that had started to dry before it even gave any flowers… or fruits.

Serena had not been sure what the seeds where for, nor why she had bothered to plant them anyway.

"They're not receiving sunlight or have enough soil! And you have not even watered it at all today have you?!" he asked turning an accusing glare on her, one that she had not seen ever on his face.

It annoyed her, _a lot._

"Ugh! I gave you that because it's literally one of the easiest plants to look after! It figures a brute like you would be able to ruin something that simple."

Oh, now he was begging for an ass kicking, she thought as she stormed to stare down at him still pouting over the stupid plant " _Brute_? Like you are one to talk"

"Yeah? Well at least I can manage to take care of _something_ alive." He said pointing at the plant again and looking distastefully as the mess that was her room.

"Big deal" she practically snorted. "You just told me that it's the easiest thing in the world-"

"Not all of them-" he started but Serena was having none of it.

"-But I suppose is good that you surround yourself of _something alive_." She said shrugging being vaguely aware that this was a ridiculous argument the more it went on.

"What are you implying?" He said finally raising to her height the pout abandoning his face and eyes narrowed, a new edge to his voice that went ignored.

"Isn't obvious? Plants are the only living beings that can stand being around you, and I bet that's because they can't run away from you." It's not like she would ever admit it out loud but talking to Yuri was oddly …refreshing as he was one of the few people who didn't tiptoed around her, or didn't felt like handling her with gloves.

She said and waited for his comeback – Probably something about manners or the like – …except that it never came.

"Whatever…" He simply said tearing his eyes away from her and looked back at the plant. "It's not too late, you have to keep it under the sunlight but also water it regularly, and the soil has to be humid but never wet."

And how was she supposed to know any of that? Who asked him to get her such a useless gift anyway?

"You… could have asked me about it." He whispered after turning to leave still not looking at her

and damn it! It shouldn't bothered her as much as it did! Serena had never seen him somber like this, and it was weird because so far she had nothing to put into question about him.

With Yuri what you saw was what you got; true he was many, _many_ unflattering things – She could be here all day long listing them – but he the one thing he was not was a liar.

And for Serena whom had had more than enough of lies in her life, that suited her just fine.

"What's the name?" She asked with some reluctance, is not like she was interested in it, but for whatever reason _he_ was.

"Hyacinth." He said stopping at the door. "I thought you would like it." He said leaving the room.


	5. 罌粟 (Poppy)

His back and his knees hurt, and he had dirt under his nails that he would probably never be able to clean, this was by far the most annoying part and painful part of gardening: getting rid of the weeds.

 _'Maybe if you let other people see this, they would like you better…'_

Stupid, useless and annoying _weeds_ , he didn't need them, much less wanted to be admired by them.

 _'…guess is good for you to want something alive around you…'_

They didn't knew him! Nobody knew him! _('Not even you know yourself...')_ And he was perfectly fine like that, Yuri liked to live like this; only for himself and never having to explain anything to anyone ever again, he didn't need their compassion, heck he didn't want it.

 _'…Plants are the only living beings that can stand being around you…'_

And most of all what did she knew about his garden? So what if he preferred to be here rather than around people? Plants were low maintenance for starters… for the most part – he tries not to think about the numerous cuts and rashes he's gotten – they are far more useful and pleasing to the eye than the faceless masses of people he was forced to deal with – Yuri tries not to think about the weeds on his hands right now – and unlike the damn unpredictability of people who you can never guess what they want from you, plants always gave back the time and care you invested in them in the form of fruits and blossoms… _('...Except that they can't really give you what **you** want…')_

Yuri stops working when he glimpses something slimy and white dots into the poppy's bushes next to him: larvae.

"Argh!" He threw himself into the ground then, not caring if he was throwing a fit, why did this have to be so damn hard? What was he doing wrong?! Didn't people always go on saying that if you try hard enough you can accomplish anything?

 _'You know this is a punishment…'_

Yes, he knew it, and he almost felt like laughing at himself because this planet could spit on him for what was left of this miserable life and he would deserve every minute of it and probably more…

"You wanted me to ask you about it" A voice – her voice – chided him from above. "Are you gonna grovel in your own misery for a while or…"

 _'Perfect, just perfect'_ Yuri thought forcing himself to get up and blinking away the wetness from his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, after she called this and an useless hobby?

"People had been talking about some curses and grumbling coming from the garden…" Serena said shrugging "…And the Principal suggested that I go see what all the fuss was about."

Damn woman

"Well as you can see I'm doing just peachy" He said crossing his arms "So you can tell that wo-the Principal that everything is running smoothly in her precious Academy"

"Yes, clearly." She said, her eyebrows raised scrutining him, and Yuri felt overly conscious of his numerous grass stains and the dirt marring his face.

And Yuri felt his heart skip a beat when Serena produced a pot from behind her, a nice bushy-looking purple blossoming plant in the center.

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

 _'Because I thought you would seek me out and then I could…'_ What was it? Forethought had never been his forte, he just knew that he wanted her to come to him, on her own.

"…It was pretty easy after I did as you said," she said looking to the side. "But it's getting too big… So I was thinking that maybe-"

"Y-yes!" he exclaimed feeling energized. "I just need to get the shovel and-"

"I'll do it" She interrupted passing him the flowerpot. "It really does feel… nice" She added rolling up her sleeves.

"…What does?" He asked a feeling pleased to see the spotless petals of the flowers

"To grow things and-"

"And nurt-sustanin them?" Yuri said, almost surprising himself ... it wasn't something he was open about.

"….I was going for getting your hands dirty." she said scratching her hair, but he didn't care... She had come to him.


	6. 飛燕草 (Larkspur)

"Is this wise?" He asked when he glimpsed the two people walking side to side in in the hallway outside her office.

"You asked me the same when I allowed Yuri to remain here, so far the Academy is not on fire so I count that as a point for me." She quipped at his frowny face, always so serious even when it came to non-business visits.

"…I'm not sure if I should worry that you have set the bar so low." Kaito countered, pouting now. "Have you taken into account his… fickleness?"

"What you call fickleness I call it … room for change." She said leaning on her desk and pocking at his nose with her finger and he blinked but didn't move from his place as she leaned closer to him "Everything changes, seeds grow into plants which turn into flower then fruits who I turn give more seeds"

"…Just like the moon's phases you mean?" He said raising his eyebrow, clearly unamused.

"See? You get it! Even your head is not that thick…" Asuka said before finally planting a light kiss on his temple and she relished a bit on his dazed face before speaking again: "After all it didn't stop you that night the roof."

And that was her last word before he grabbed her, intent on shutting her up.

.

.

.

"Can't they spare us from the… spectacle?" She said making gagging sounds at the sight of the Principal Tenjoin and her… personal visit.

It was just luck that Yuri's garden gave them a wide sight of her office.

"Why do you care? It's her day off." Yuri said looking a little too interested on their… affectionate display. "Take it from the bright side, now we have something on her."

"What for?" She asked glaring at him.

"Dunno, but you never know when you need blackmail material." Yuri said getting back at his task of looking for plague. "…And maybe you can take it as a valuable…. learning experience"

"On what?" She asked, her curiosity picked for once, not eve Yuri's exasperated face managed to squish it down.

But the very intent he then stared at her mouth and the sight of his tip of his tongue did, before quickly averting his gaze.

Yuri didn't answer her, and Serena wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, she just dedicated herself to squash down more bugs, along with the tingling sensation on her belly.


	7. 勿忘草 (Forget-me-not)

"I remember you" She said to him one day.

Yuri wasn't sure what she was getting at with this, he had just thought her how to avoid getting stung by bees when handling flowers during the pollen season, and then she had gotten this weird look on her eyes…. As if she had stared at him as if she had not seen him in quite a while.

"…Back when we were little." She started. "I remember seeing how every day you got to duel anyone you wanted and how the Pro- Leo Akaba favored you on top of the other students and he let you do as you wanted… and I was envious of that."

Envious? Of him? Yuri had heard that before, lots of times actually, it had been the main fuel of people challenging him nonstop, before it turned into fear that is, and it had been his main fuel to drag his duel with the Principal back then.

Envy was an ugly, insidious and _addicting_ feeling – It felt so good to blame others for your misfortune – but somehow and the way she talked about it wasn't envy…

She longed for freedom, the same way he longed for company, belonging.

"I remember you too…" He found himself saying feeling a little out of breath, his eyes caught the sight of small blue flowers next to her, and rather than clash with her hair they complemented it.

Forget-me-nots, remembrance… _love_.

"Would it had been different? Had Leo not intervened?" She asked more to herself than to him. "Would we have-"

"Found each other?" He said, his heart hammering on his chest when Serena took a hold of his face looking at him with the same determination that had always intrigued him about her – because it was a feeling foreign to him, it implied to know what you wanted – and Yuri knew that moment that there was no way he would be able to let go of her now, out of the question.

They shared their first kiss that day.

None of them talked more that night, nor the next about it… no, there weren't more kisses either, no, it wouldn't be much later when they allowed themselves to repeat it.

And they never stopped afterwards.


End file.
